"A HAPPY COUNTRY."

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21114, 23 February 1932, Page 10

"A HAPPY COUNTRY."

SOUTH AFRICAN VISITOR. REMAINING ON GOLD STANDARD. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON, Monday. Unless unforeseen complications arise South Africa will remain on tho gold Standard at least during tho tenure of office of the present Government, according to Sir Joseph ltobiuson, of Capetown, who arrived in New Zealand by tho Monowai to-day from Sydney. Sir Joseph was elected a member of Parliament in 1915 for the Transvaal constituency, but did not seek re-election. He was at the time the youngest member of tho House.

South Africa really was a very happy country, he said. Whatever happened it would always liavo a Conservative Government. There were almost no Bolsheviks—perhaps two or three, but no one took any notice of them. General Hcrtzog, tho present Prime Minister, was a Conservative, and if General Smuts got in at tho next election in two years' time the Government would still be Conservative. They were on the gold standard, moreover, and they intended to remain on it. As long as the present Government remained in power it was almost certain that the gold standard would remain with them. If General Smuts got into power they might abandon it, but even if he did it was not a very probablo eventuality.